Can these numbers be correct? He claims that 20% of contact lens users flush their contacts down the drain, for a total of 3.36 billion. That would mean that there are a total of 16.8 BILLION disposable contact lenses being thrown out each year! Sounds rather high, no?
Consider: the population of the world is less than 8 billion, and at most 61% of the population wear any type of eye correction (including glasses.) An estimated 45 million Americans wear contact lenses, and typical disposable contact lens last one day to two weeks.
Still not 16 billion.
So I should take out my contact lenses whenever I go to north central Queens?
@yitzyk
What are you saying??
Did you do basic arithmetic? Even if you would be correct that 45 million Americans wear lenses (really are much more, because that number is just 18 and older), and they would all change every day that would be 365×2 (one lens each eye)= 730, times 45 million= 32.85 billion. Far more than 16 billion.
3 Responses
Can these numbers be correct? He claims that 20% of contact lens users flush their contacts down the drain, for a total of 3.36 billion. That would mean that there are a total of 16.8 BILLION disposable contact lenses being thrown out each year! Sounds rather high, no?
Consider: the population of the world is less than 8 billion, and at most 61% of the population wear any type of eye correction (including glasses.) An estimated 45 million Americans wear contact lenses, and typical disposable contact lens last one day to two weeks.
Still not 16 billion.
So I should take out my contact lenses whenever I go to north central Queens?
@yitzyk
What are you saying??
Did you do basic arithmetic? Even if you would be correct that 45 million Americans wear lenses (really are much more, because that number is just 18 and older), and they would all change every day that would be 365×2 (one lens each eye)= 730, times 45 million= 32.85 billion. Far more than 16 billion.